Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet 1. J-. W. NUNAMAKER.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented Feb. 10 1885.

1.7V V .EJV TOR W Attorney 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. W. NUNAMAKER.

OAR COUPLING.

No. 312,216. Patented Feb. 10, 1885.

w irl K WITNESSES 4 @M UNiTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN \VILLIAM NUNAMAKER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 312,216, dated February 10, 1885.

Application filed November 12, 1834.

T 0 (tZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, J. W. NUNAMAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful lmprovementsin Oar-Couplers,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improvements in car-couplers of that class in which the coupling is effected by interlocking drawheads; and it has for its objects to simplify the constructionoftheinterlocking heads and render their operation more positive by dispensing with the springs ordinarily employed to operate the locking-levers; to provide a se1f-centering head which will automatically assume the properv position in the line of draft when the cars have abutted and become coupled, so as to permit the proper play to the heads to preventinjnry, andto provide acoupling-head that maybe attached to a specifically-constructed draw-head, or to an ordinary drawbar, as more fully hereinafter specified. These objectsIatt-ain by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents theend of acar, showing a front view ofa portion of myiinproved coupler; Fig. 2,a view ofthe two interlocking drawheads, one being shown in side elevation and the other in longitudinal section. Fig. 3represents detached perspective views of the lock lever and locking pin or key, whereby said lever is held to interlock the draw-heads or released to unlock or uncouple the same. Fig. 4 represents a view, partly in plan and partlyin section, of the interlocking heads. Fig. 5 rep resents a sectional view of one of the drawheads taken on the line 00 a? of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 represents a perspective view, showing the front end of one of the draw-bars, and Fig. 7 a detached perspective view of one of the drawheads.

In the drawings, the letter A indicates my improved draw-head, which is bifurcated or recessed in front, as indicated by the letter B, so as to form interlocking parts, which will engage for the purpose of making the coupling-connection, as more fully hereinafter eX- plained. The coupling-head at one side, or through one member of its bifurcated portion, is provided with a vertical recess or aperture,

(No model.)

D, which forms a seat for the pin or key E, which is provided with an arm or lever, F, on top, by which it may be operated to operate the locking lever, by means of which the couplers are coupled and uncoupled. The said lever (indicated by the letter G) is constructed of cast or wrought metal, having a body of approximately semi-cylindrical form with lateral lugs or extensions H and a vertical lip or flange, G, as shown in Figs. 1 and -i of the drawings. The lock-lever sets in a recess, I, in the draw-head, and is adapted to move backward and forward therein, being kept normally to the front by its weight, the said lever working upon the inclined bearings K at the bottom of the recess, as shown in the drawings, the lever being prevented from leaving its seat by means of a flange, K, below, and a pin, K above, passing through the opening K in the draw-head. The pin or key is recessed or cut away at one side at points near the top and bottom, as indicated by the letter L, through which recess the lugs of the lock-lever pass to permit the said lever to move in coupling and uncoupling the cars. The forward part of that portion of the coupling-head in which the vertical recess for the pin or key is formed is recessed, as indicated by the letter M, so that the two heads may be coupled by means of an ordinary link, which enters the recess and is held by the bolt or key in the same manner as by the ordinary coupling-pin. The draw-head at its rear is formed with parallel plates, N, which on their lower faces are provided with inclined pyramidal projections, P, which extend toward the forward end of the head. The said projections are adapted to set in the correspondingly-shaped recesses P in the draw-bar, which is bifurcated at its forward end so as to receive the head, as plainly shown in Fig. l of the drawings, and allow it to yield to the shock when the cars come together, and cen ter itself directly in the line of draft when the cars have been eoupled, so as to prevent injury to the coupling, and insure the proper connection and position of the parts when coupled. By this means also a free lateral motion is permitted to the draw-heads at their connections, in addition to the ordinary lateral motion of the draw-bars.

When the coupling-head is intended to be used in connection with a draw-bar having I and a lock-lever provided with a vertical the ordinary draw-head, the pyramidal pro- I locking-flange and lateral lugs, and a rejections are left oii of the parallel plates or cessed pin or key adapted to engage saidlockremoved, and the plates are caused to straddle the ordinary draw-head, and are secured thereto by means of the coupling-pin.

The operation of my invention will be read ily understood in connection with the above description, and is as follows: W'hen the two coupling-l'leads come together, the bifurcated portions mutually engage, the lock-levers in each falling back so as to allow the parts to interlock, the levers assuming their normal condition after the engagement of the heads, so as to interlock said heads, the levers being held in such interlocked position by turning the recessed bolts or keys so as to present the unrecessed portions to the lugs on the locklevers and prevent their backward movement and the uncoupling of the parts.

To uncouple the cars, the pin or key is brought into such position that the lugs of the lock-lever may pass through the recesses, and tall sufficiently back and to one side to permit the draw-heads to be disengaged and the cars uncoupled.

I claim- 1. The combination, in a cal--coupler, ot'thc bifurcated draw-head having a recess at one side with an inclined hearing at the bottom,

ing-lever to couple the parts and release it to uncouple the same, the locking-lever being arranged to move backward and upward on the inclined hearing in coupling and uncoupling, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the coupling-head, of the lock-lever adapted to move in a recess therein and assume its normal position by its own weight, and the lock bolt or key, the lat ter adapted to serve as a coupling-pin to hold the link, which passes through a recess in the forward part of the coupling-head, formed for the purpose, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the draw-head, of

the parallel rearwardly-extending plates hav-' JO [1N \VlLLl AM N UNAM AKER.

\Vitnesses:

Guns. L. Coons", H. J. ENNIs. 

